Oil-well casing



(No Moaei.) Y 2 sheetssheet 1. J. MCCONNELL 8u R. W. MILLER.

OIL WELL ASING.

[PII Patented July 26.1.1887..

N, PETERS. Fumo-umngrnphar. washington. D. C,

367,052. fyi

E E E ll d.

(N0 Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2. J. MGCONNELL 8v R. W. MILLER.

OIL WELL GASING.

N0. 367,052. Patented July 26, 1887.

f .U F..

FmlwLima n. Pneus UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOSEPH MCCONNELL, OF PITTSBURG, AND ROBERT IV. MILLER, OF ALLE- GHENYCITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-WELL. CASING.

SPECIFICATION erming part of Letters Patent No. 367,052, dated July 26,1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, J osErH McCoNNELL, of Pittsburg, and ROBERT W'.MILLER, of A1- legheny City, all in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oil-VellCasings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is avertical axial section of the lower part of a'n oilwell casing showingour improved packer and sustaining devices. Fig. 2 is a similar View,showing the packer and the sustaining devices in the position which theyoccupy when projected against the sides of the well. This figure alsoshows the retaining-cap 16 separated from the casing. Fig. 3 is a vertical axial section on the line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom planview of the retainingcap which we employ for confining the sustainingdevices of the casing until the casing has been lowered to the properposition in the well. Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the mode ofmanufacture of thecap shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical crosssectionon the lines y y of Figs. 1 and 7. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical axialsection of the lower part, 13, of the packer, with the cap 16 removed.Figs. 6 and 7 are drawn on the same scale, the other iigures are on asmaller scale.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

In drilling oil-wells, in order to keep the water from the upper strataof earth from flowing down to the oil-producing strata, and therebyfilling up the hole and driving back the oil, it has' been customary toinsert a casing or tube into the hole, extending from the top down belowthe waterstrata. A packing of rubber or other suitable material is oftenfitted around the casing at a point which, when the casing is set inplace, is below the llowest water-veins. The compression of this packingbetween the casing and the sides of the hole seals the space betweenthem and prevents the descent of the water.

It is the object of our invention to improve the construction of suchpacking and to providcimproved means for supporting the casing in thewell at any desired point.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show the casing of the oil-well. Itconsists of pipe sections or tubes which are screwed together and let inthe well in the usual way.

2 is one of the lower sections of the casing, the upper end of whichtits around the section 3 above it, and is adapted to slidetelescopically thereon. It is con (ined to the section 3, so that whenthe latter is lifted it will carry the section 2 with it, by means of ahook or fianged joint, 4E.

5 is the packer, which consists of a simple rubber tube, whose sides aresubstantially the same thickness from top to bottom. This tube is fittedaround the section 3 and is secured thereto by rivets 6. Its upperendfits against a seat or shoulder on the section 3, which is eled. To thelower` end of the section 2 of 75 the easing is screwed a tube-section,8, which is provided with a series of catches, 9, arranged around itsperiphery and adapted to engage the sides of the well and thus snpportthe casing. catches, the lower part of the section 8 is made of somewhatless thickness than thc upper part. This affords a seat or shoulderagainst which the upper or butt ends of the catches bear. The catchesare pivoted to the section 8 by pintles 10, and are adapted to benormally flush with the sides of the casing, as shown in Fig. l.Thelower ends of the catches are beveled. 11 is atubular section, whichis iitted around the lower part of the section 8 and is arrangedto slidetelescopicall y thereon, the limits of its motion being defined by pins12, attached to the inner section, 8, and fitting in vertical slots inthe outer section, 11. The

upper edge of the section 11 is preferably 9 beveledconformably to thebevel of the lower edge ofthe catches. Screwed to the bottom of thesection 11 is the lowest section, 13, ofthe casing. A part of it isbeveled or made coneshaped on the outside, as at d, Figs. 17 2, and

To accommodate theseA IOO tion d of the section 13. When placed edge toedge on the seat @,these pieces 18 extend around the periphery of thesection 18. The parts 18 are intended to act as wedges to conl nethe'casing against the sides ot' the well.

In order to guide them in their vertical-movements and to prevent themfrom moving laterally, each 1s provided with'a vertical guidel rod,which is fastened to the lower end of the casingsection 13 at the seate, and thence extends upward through the'wedge 18 beside the casing andterminates in an angle or hook, 19, which is fitted in ahole in the sideof the casing. The several wedges 18. are yprovided with dogs or catches14, which are set in recessesin the wedges, and are pivotallymountedtherein at their upper ends. These wedges have springs 15 on their innersides for projecting them. The dogs 14 are normally held within theirrecesses by means of a cap, 16, which ts over the bottoni of thecasing-section 13 around the catches. In Fig. 7 this cap is omittedforclearness of illustration.

The normal positionof the parts as they are when the casing is beingloweredinto the well,4 is shown in Fig. 1. vWhen the casing has beenlowered to the desired point, a weight is dropped into it from the topof the well, which, striking upon the bottom cap, 16, knocks it off thelower end of the casing andreleases the catches 14, which are thenimmediately projected by the springs 15 and assume a downwardly andoutwardlyinclined direction. The weight of the casing will cause theends of these catches, which may be suitably roughencd, to bite upon thesides of the well and to uphold the wedges 18, Fig. 2. Then, as thecasing ldescends, the wedges, being fixed by the dogs,will slip upwardon the beveled portion of the section 13 and will be forced outwardlythereby until they engage the sides of the hole,where they become jammedbetween it and the casing, Vso locking the latter firmly inplace, asshown in Fig. 2. During this upward motion the wedges are guided by therods 19 whose positions are illustrated by the full lines in Figs. 1 and2 and by the dotted and full lines in Fig. 7. After the wedges 18 havebeen jammed, the weight of the casing-sections above, bearing on thesections 2 and 8, will cause the section 8 to slip down inside thesection 11, the beveled upper end of which,`engaging the beveled ends ofthe catches 9, projects them against the sides of the well, as shown inFig. 2. Both the wedges 18 and the catches 9 having now become xed, theywill sustain the casing in. place. At the same time the downwardpressureof the casing on the section 3 will cause the latter to slip down insidethe section 2, and the beveerosa l a irst hold on the sides of theholeinorder to J bring the wedges into operation.

-The packer when thus constructed has many advantages. All the workingparts maybe put on t'he outside, so as not to contract the insidediamater'of the-casing, and thus interfere with the operation of thedrilling-tools. v

The packer is firmly supported; but when desired to be drawn out theparts affordl Very little resistance. The device is also very light andsimple in its construction, but is of great strength.

We shall now describe certain details of construction ofthe apparatus,which constitute important features ot" our invention. In order toprevent the lower edge of the packer-tube 5 frombeing torn or abraded bythe wedgingl action ofthe upper end .of the section 2, we surround it bya leather ring or facing, 17.

The construction of the packer-tube, whose.-

side is of substantially constant thickness from top to bottom, insteadof the cone-shaped packer-rings heretofore employed, is impor- A tant,and materially increases the efficiency of the device.

vIn Figs.` 4 and 5 'we-show a simple and con-` venient mode of makingthe cap 16, which conlines the lower catches, 14. We stamp out a roo ipiece of tin or sh'eet-iron ofthe shape shown in Fig. 5, having alongitudinal strip, a, and arms b'projecting therefrom. at right angles.The strip c is bent into a circular shape, .and the arms b are then bentinwardly toward the center ofthe bottom of the cylinder so formed, andare there conlinedloy rivets c. Thisproduces the necessaryv shape, andis a cheap and simple mode of construction. A

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the exact arrangement ofthecasing-sectionsshown in the drawings. Many of them, which we have shownin several parts secured together, may be made irrsin'gle pieces, or thenumber ofthe partsanay ybeincreased, if desired.

What we claim is-` 1. A wellcasing having external down* wardly-directedpivotally-mounted supporting-catches, and a sliding section, 11,arranged to engage andproject the' catches, substantially yas and forthe purposes described.

2. The pivotally mounted supporting catches 9, in combination with thesliding wedge or section 11, secured to the casing by pins working inslots, so as to afford a limited IIO IIS

motion to the wedge, substantially as and for n capable of projection,-in combination with a removable cap fitting over the casing andconfining the catches, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. An oil-Well casing having external catches capable of projection, incombination with a removable cap fitting over the casing and coniiningthe catches, and springs for projecting the catches, substantially asand for the pnrposes described.

5. A rubber packing-ring having its edge faced with leather,substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The combinationvith a wellcasing, of a series of segmental wedgesfitted around a tapering portion of the outside of the casing andarranged to move vertically thereon, said tapering portion increasing indiameter upwardly, whereby downward motion of the casing relativelytothe wedges will project the latter, substantially as and t'orthepnrposes described.

7. The combinatiomwith a well-easing, of a series ot .segmental wedgesfitted around a tapering portion on the outside of the casing andarranged to move vertically thereon, said tapel-ing portion increasingin diameter upwardward motion of the casing relatively to the Wedgeswill project the-latter, and vertical guide-rods 19, passing through thewedges and extending above the same, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

9. The .eombination,with a Well-easing, of a series ot' segmental wedgesfitted loosely around a beveled portion of the easing,whereby downwardmotion of the casing relatively to the wedges will project the latter,and springcatches on the wedges arranged to engage the sides of thewell, substantially as and for the purposes described.

l0. The combinatiomwith a Well-casing, of proj ectible catches and theremovable cap 16, contining the catches, said cap being constructed of astrip of metal, a, and arms b, projecting therefrom at right angles, thesaid strip being bent into circular shape and the arms b bent inwardlytoward the axis of the cylinder thus formed and held together,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set onr hands this l4thday ofJanuary, A. D. 1887.

JOSEPH MCCONN ELL. ROBERT XV. MILLER. Vitnesses:

THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, R. H. WHITTLEsEY.

